Wire-fencing machine.



No. 664,!74. Patented Dec. l8, I900.-

. N. S. PARKER.

WIRE FENCING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 20, 1960.)

(No Model.) 2 Shouts-Sheet I.

nnnnnnnnn 5 mins co. mo'rouma, wAsumrn'oN. n. c.

Patented Dec. I8. I900.

u. s. PARKER; WIRE rename MACHINE. (Application fi led. Aug. 20, IQOQ.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

NATHAN s. PARKER, or FORT DODGE, KANSAS, AssIeNo OF TWO-THIRDS TO 0. J.ANDREWS AND JULIA M. DIOKEY, OF'SAME PLACE.

WIRE-FENCING MACHINE;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 664,174. datedDecember18, 1906. n ncation'fiiea August 0,1900. Serial No. 27,479. (No modeLlTo all whom it may concern;

Be it known that LNATHANS. PARKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Dodge, in the county. of Ford and State of Kansas,haveinvented a new and useful Wire- Fence Machine, of which the following isa specification.

This invent-ion relates to wire-fence machines; and the object of thesame is to pro- IO vide a simple and effective mechanical organizationof relatively coacting elements for twisting the stringers orrunnersarranged at regular intervals over wire pickets which are of themselvesinter-twisted with the said stringers or runners by twisting membersarranged in transverse alinement and adjustable vertically equally andsimultaneously by a treadle connection to bring them into the operativeplane of the runners or stringers and at the same time render the lattertaut for a close unity with the pickets to produce a closely-wovenfabric of any width in an expeditious manner.

The invention consists in the construction 2 5 and arrangement of theseveral parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed, and subject to such variations as re-' side within the scopeandprinciple of the invention.

0 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire-fence-makingmachine embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail perspectiveview of a portion 3 5 of the transverse picket-twisting mechanism. Fig.4 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of the saidtransverse picket-twist ing mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view of por-.tions of the stringers and a picket, showing the method of fastening thelatter.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the frame, which 5 is proportioned to receivethe several mechanisms which will be hereinafter described and providedwith hinged legs 2 for reducing it to compact form for transportationfrom one place to another, the latter operation being facilitated by theapplication to one of the side bars of horizontal rollers 3, as shown inFig. 1, and brought into contact with the ground surface or flooring bytilting the frame, so as to cause the bar carrying the said rollers tobe on the bottom. The infolding of the legs 2 and the reductionconsequent therefrom also affords convenient means for storing theentire machine within a comparatively small space when not in use, andthe entire frame structure will be as light as the weight and strain ofthe parts of the machine will permit without impairing the durability ofthe complete organization.

At one end of the frame a turn-bar 4 is rotatably mounted, the said barbeing tubular to lighten it and increase the strength thereof, andthrough the center is inserted one extremity of a hand-lever 5. This barhas links 6 loosely connected thereto and to the front end of a slidabletwister-frame 7, consisting of front and rear vertically-disposed plates8 and 9,'connected byhorizontal intermediate and lower plates or beams10, which may be of wood to lighten the structure, and also havinglongitudinally-extending forwardiy-projecting upperend guides11,havingtheir lower edges bearing on opposite guide-blocks 12,held bythe side bars of the frame; The upper portions of the plates 8 and 9provide bearings for longitudinally-disposed parallel spindles 8o 13,having sleeved miter-gears .14: on their front ends in advance of theplate 8 and twisting-heads 15 on their rear ends back of the plate 9.The twisting-heads 15 each comprise a sleeve 16, secured on the spindleand having diametricallyopposed spool posts 17, which may be of a.single piece, of material of a suitable nature extending entirelythrough the sleeve 16 and spindle-terminal and adapted to receivewire-holding spools 18, which are rotatable thereon and removable atwill therefrom. In the forward terminals of the end guides 11 adrive-shaft 19 is mounted, having sleeved miter-gears 20 thereon atregular intervals and meshing continuously with the 5 gears 14 on thespindles 13, the said shaft also having a crank-lever 21 on one end forhand rotation of the same and a band-pulley 22 on the opposite end toprovide for operation of the machine by two methods.

At an intermediate point in the frame and at a prearranged distance fromthe twisting IOO mechanism just described is a transverselyoperatingpicket-twisting mechanism comprising end hangers 23, of T shape, formedwith central vertical slots 24, which extend upwardly through the sidebars of the frame, the latter being braced by the heads of the hangers.Between the side bars of the frame, in line with the opposite side edgesof the depending portionsofthe hangers,areverticallyarranged inclosingguide-plates 25, having upper longitudinally-extending supportingextensions 26 secured to the inner sides of the side bars of the frame,and between the said plates a plurality of trausversely-alined twistingdevices 27 are loosely mounted and verticallyadjustable. Thesetwistingdevices each include an upstanding pair of closelyarrangedguards 28, with an intermediate open space 29 and upper and lowerspace-closing blocks 30 and upper centrally-located verticalthroat-slots 31, with flaring months 32, the slot and throat of eachplate or guard being in alinement with the other. The guards all risefrom a bottom plate 33, to which they are rigidly attached, and thethroats of the entire complement of twisting devices 27 are intransverse alinement considered relatively to the longitudinal extent ofthe machine and the direction of the stringers or runners. The twistingdevices 27 and the bottom plate 33 are unitedly movable in a verticaldirection between the guide-plates 25, and extending through the lowerportions of all of said twisting devices is a counter-shaft 34, havingpin ions 35 thereon within the spaces 29 between the guards. Thesepinions are rotatable with the said cou nter-shaft,and the latter hasits opposile extremities projecting loosely through the slots 24 of thehangers 23, and on one end of the same is a crank-handle 36 for handoperation, the opposite end being adapted to receive a pulley oranalogous device for the application of driving power. Verticallydisposed over the pinions 35 are twisting-gears 37, having extended hubs38, the gears 37 being each radially slotted, as at 39. The hubs 38 havelongitudinal recesses 40, with which the slots of the said gearsdirectly communicate, and at the lower terminals of the throats of theguards 28 circular seats 41 are formed for rotatably receiving the saidhubs. By the rotation of the shaft 34 the twisting-gears 37 are causedto be revolved equally, and picket wires placed in the throats of theguards 28 and pressed down through the slots of the gears 37 into therecesses of the hub 38 will be regularly twisted without any preliminaryformation and be thereby firmly interlocked with the stringers orrunners, which are fedin pairs from the spools 18. One mode of uniting apicket and the double stringers by the improved machine is to providetwo suitable lengths of wire to form the picket and then draw thestringers so that the crotches will be located between the guards 28 inline with the centers of thethroat-slots 31 and the twisting-hubs 38 ofthe twisting devices 27 when the latter devices are elevated. The picketlengths are then closely arranged in the said hubs with one in thecrotches of the stringers and the other on the uppermost of the latterfor about one-half or less of the longitudinal extent of the same andthe hub set in motion to twist the two lengths. The

' stringers are then twisted by the mechanism set forth for this purposeany distance desired and proportionately to dimensions of the fabric andthen shifted by winding the same until the crotches thereof are alinedrelatively to the twisting devices 27, as before. The remaining portionsof the picket lengths are then bent to form a head and then placed inthe twisting devices 27, as in first instance, and treated, as clearlyshown-by Fig. 5. During this operation the stringers will be held tautwith considerable tension.

As before indicated, the guards 23 are unitedly adjustable in a verticaldirection, and the purpose of this adjustment is to bring thepicket-wires at a proper elevation relatively to the opening between theuntwisted double stringers or runners from the spools 18, and forthispurpose a treadle-frame is employed consisting of a cross-bar 42,having right-angular rearwardly-extending end bars 43, pivotallyconnected to forwardly-projecting ears 44 in connection with the frontend portions of the transversely-alined twisting mechanism, and providedwith a foot-engaging member 45, projecting outwardly from one side ofthe machine. The said trcadle-frame has a rearwardly projecting arm 46,working through a slot in the front plate 25 and having its free curvedend bearing against the under side of the bottom plate 33. By depressingthe foot-engaging member of the treadle-frame, the said bottom plate 33,and all the parts connected thereto and including the guards and shaft34, itis understood that the parts will be so regulated that when a fulldepression of the treadle-frame is had the hubs 38 of the gears 37 willbe at the propel-elevation relatively to the stringers or runners inorder to obtain the practicable result sought. The end bars 43 haveuprights 45 pivotally attached thereto and vertically rising therefrom,one on each, and in the upper extremities of said uprights a tension-rod46 is rigidly secured at opposite points and the extremities freelymovable in slotted vertical guides 47, secured to the side bars of theframe. The purpose of this tension-rod is to contact with the stringersor runners below and depress the latter to the level of thetwisting-hubs 38 in the guards 28 simultaneously with the elevation ofthe latter by the depression of the treadle-fraine, the said rod andhubs by a predetermined calculation arriving at their respectivedepression and elevation in timed relation to accurately produce theoperation desired. The weight of the transversely-alined twistingmechanism, including the guards and counter-shaft and parts in intimaterelation thereto, will automatically gravitate and restore all the partsto normal position when depressing force is relieved from thetreadle-frame.

At the rear extremities of the side bars of the frame 1 areupwardly-projecting bearingplates 48, having the opposite ends of afinished fabric winding beam 49 rotatably mounted therein, one endhaving an operating crank-handle 5O thereon and a ratchet 51, adapted tobe engaged by an adjacent pawl 52 to prevent unwinding movement of thebeam and enable a certain amount of longitudinal tension to be exertedon the stringers or runners in the initial arrangement of the machinefor operation.

The pairs of stringers or runners are extended longitudinally of themachine and attached to the beam 49, the said stringers or runners lyingover the upper edges of the guide-plates 25 and close to one sideof eachof the guards 28. An initial twist is then given to the stringers orrunners by the rota.- tion of the shaft 19 and the consequent actuationof the spindles l3 and spools 18. The hand-bar 5 is then grasped anddrawn toward the front of the machine to turn the bar 4 in the samedirection and forwardly slide the twisting-frame 7 through the medium ofthe links 6 and exert a longitudinal tension on the stringers or runnersand bring the crotches of the twisted portions thereof in line with theplane of elevation of the hubs 38, so that the recesses in the latterwill be in transverse alinement with the openings between each doubleset of the said stringers or runners. The transversely-alined twistingdevices for the pickets are then elevated sufficiently to permit theintroduction of a double-strand picket of considerable length in thethroats 31 of the guards 28 and within the recesses 40 of the hubs 38 ofthe twisting-gears 37 and also within the openings between the strandsof each of the stringers orrunners. The shaft 34 is then operated totwist the picket length in position, as set forth, the tension-rod 46having drawn all the stringers or runners downwardly close against thestrands of the picket, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. After the propertwist has been obtained in the picket length the stringers are againtwisted to lock the picket length in place, and the remaining unfastenedportion of the latter may then be formed into a curved head, as shown byFig. l, and then disposed as just explained, when the same operationwill be repeated and an elongated looped picket be formed and securelyfastened in place. This is one very simple mode of applying the picket;but for all purposes the preferred mode of procedure will be to threadone strand of the picket-wire through the openings between the stringersor runners and the other picket-strand over the uppermost of the latterand then pursue the combined twisting action as before explained andproduce a firm interlock of the pickets and stringers or runners toprevent the pickets from shifting out of place. The machine is capableof permitting various other picket applications, and a number ofpleasing designs can be produced in the pickets between the stringers orrunners by bending and looping the same. It will also be observed thatthe stringers or runners are to be arranged in closer relation near thepart of the fence fabric which will be adjacent the ground when erectedin order to strengthen the same by producing a more rigid base-supportand also to prevent the passage of small stock therethrough from oneinclosure into another when in use. This proposed arrangement is clearlyindicated in Fig. 3 bya closer disposition of a portion of the guards.As shown also by this latter figure, the shaft 34 will be given a stablesupport for operation by hearing in end upright extensions 53 at eitherone or bot-h ends of the plate 33, as will he obviously apparent.

The improved machine has manifold advantages, and its equipment with thedoubletwisting mechanism as set forth will render it extremely useful inexpeditiously fabricating fence constructions with the additionalcapabilities of variety of design, and though a double picket is shownand has been referred to it will be understood that single forms ofpickets can be equally well introduced with beneficial results.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is 1. In awire-fence-making machine,the combination of a frame, a plurality ofstringer or runner twisting devices, and picket-twisting mechanism in aplane at right angles to the direction of the runners or stringers andvertically movable to the plane of the latter..

2. In a wire-fence-makingmachine,the combination of a frame, a pluralityof stringer or runner twisting devices, vertically-movablepicket-twisting mechanism extending transversely of the frame in a planeat a right angle to the direction of the said stringers or runners, anda transversely-extending tension member connected to and movabledownward by the said picket-twisting mechanism simultaneously with theupward movement of the latter.

3. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination with a plurality ofstringer or runner twisting devices, of vertically-movablepicket-twisting mechanism in a plane at a right angle thereto andoperative independent thereof.

4. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination ofaframe,atwisting-frame mounted thereon to slide longitudinally thereof andhaving a plurality of stringer or runner twisting devices, and avertically-movable independently-operating picket-twisting mechanism ina plane at a right angle to the said stringer and runnertwisting'devices.

5. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination with a plurality ofstringer or run= ner twisting devices, of Vertically-movable IIOpicket-twisting mechanism extending transversely of the machine andconsisting of a series of throated guards arranged vertically and havingradiallyslotted twisting-gears with recessed hubs at the lower terminalsof the several throats, a treadle-frame for operating, and atransversely-extending tensionrod connected to the said treadle-frameand movable downwardly thereby simultaneously with the upward movementof the pickettwisting mechanism.

6. In awire-fence-makingmachine,thecombination with a plurality oflongitudinallyslidable stringer or runner twisting devices, ofvertically-movable picket-twisting mechanism extending transversely ofthe machine and consisting of a series of throated guards arrangedvertically and having radially-slotted twisting-gears with recessed hubsat the lower terminals of the several throats, and means for operatingthe said gears and movable with the said mechanism.

7. In a wire-fence-making machine,the combination of a frame, aplurality of stringer or runner twisting devices each comprising twowire-holding spools,vertically-movable twisting mechanism extendingtransversely of the machine and consisting of a series ofvertically-arranged guards having throats in the upper portions thereof,radially-slotted twistinggears mounted within the guards and havingrecessed hubs at the lower terminals of the said throats, a shaftextending through the guards and having pinions thereon in mesh with thegears, a treadle-frame for operating said picket-twisting mechanism, anda vertically-movable tension-rod attached to the said frame and operatedby the latter in a downward direction simultaneously with the upwardmovement of the picket-twisting mechanism. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NATHAN S. PARKER.

Witnesses:

J. M. BURSON, F. J. OYLER.

